Spider's Web
by Phx
Summary: It’s Halloween… All Hallows Eve, but can Frank figure out, in time, that there is something much more sinister going on then a broken promise by a delinquent brother… or will his frustration with Joe be left to haunt him forever?
1. Chapter 1

_I wrote this a couple of years ago and am dedicating the posting of it here to Red Hardy. You are a good friend. Please, let me know what you think._

**Spider's Web**

_**Chapter 1**_

_October 30 – _

Eighteen-year old Frank Hardy was doubled over in stitches as he watched the antics of his younger brother, Joe. About as alike as chalk and cheese, the elder brother was the more serious minded, dark haired one, while the younger was blond with blue eyes, and if he was known for anything, it was not being serious _about anything_!

And right now the younger boy was jumping all around the attic, hopping and howling, and while Frank was trying to help him it was a task made difficult because of his brother's perpetual motion.

"It's _just a spider,_" Frank finally managed to get out between hoots of laughter.

Joe paused long enough to actually glare at him before he continued his mad frenzy of trying to pull off anything that might even remotely resemble a spider.

Frank finally pulled himself together and took some pity on his brother. "Here let me help…would you stop jumping around… JOE! Stop!" He grabbed his brother and forcibly managed to stop him before he passed out or something.

"There is no spider on you anywhere!" Frank announced after doing a quick appraisal of his brother's body. "It's gone."

"Are you sure?" Joe sounded so pitiful Frank actually regretted laughing at him earlier but he couldn't help it. At six feet tall, the muscular youth should not have been afraid of a small black spider, even if it did drop on him.

Smiling sympathetically, Frank nodded, "Yeah it's gone, now come on, let's go downstairs and grab some hot cider." Frank inhaled sharply. "I think Mom just finished making some."

In truth he was feeling badly about laughing at his brother as he could now see just how upset Joe was. Close by nature, they were not the kind of brothers who took each others' concerns…or in this case, fears…lightly.

However, Joe's reaction to that spider had been uncalled for.

The boys had been in the attic looking for the five-foot tall inflatable Frankenstein's monster that graced their front lawn every Halloween when the spider had dropped on Joe.

Shaking his head, Frank followed his younger brother out of the attic. "Hey did you get the van fixed yet?"

"Not yet," Joe said and then before Frank could start up the same protest he had been making since yesterday when the brothers had finished wrapping up their latest case with a disabled van, the blond boy continued, "But I'll have it fixed by tomorrow night. I promise!"

Frank snorted. "You'd better kiddo, or else your ass is grass and I'm the lawn mower!"

Joe's laughter reverberated throughout the house. "Relax old man, before you have a heart attack. Your irresistible younger brother has it all under control!"

But 24 hours later, Frank wasn't convinced…at all.

* * *

_October 31 -_

"I'm going to kill him," Frank chanted, "yup, nice and slow…painful and inhumane…but he is dead…as a doorknob…. Stiff as a board….Until there's not a jig in him! Dead man walking!"

Frank had never been so furious with Joe before in his entire life.

Normally logical with a slow burning fuse, right now he just wanted to choke the living daylights out of his 'irresistible' younger brother.

At 17, Joe's '_devil-may-care'_ attitude had Frank wondering how in the world he and Joe had ever been able to solve any mysteries at all – hell, how in the world had Joe ever learned to walk? That took effort! Frank was incensed.

Muttering angrily, he kicked the front tire on the dark modified van the boys shared. Right now the van was useless. The brakes were gone and there was no way he could drive it.

The younger boy, self-proclaimed family mechanic, was supposed to repair the brake line, which had been tampered with on their last case, but had kept putting it off. And at this exact moment the vehicle was still out of commission.

"_Joe, I need the van tonight," Frank had reminded him first thing. "I promised Callie I'd hang out at her house to help give out the Halloween treats…and you know that!" _

"_No problemo, big bro," Joe had said as he quickly changed into a sweat shirt to go for his morning jog. "I'll get to it as soon as I get back." _

"_You've been saying that for two days now," Frank reminded him as he followed Joe downstairs and watched him put on his running shoes, "and I'm getting tired of always having to borrow Mom's car!" _

_Joe straightened up and said seriously, although Frank wondered how he could be serious with that ever-present twinkle in his eye, "Relax Frank, I just got the parts I needed last night. These guys really slashed up the valves good, and Gary_ _'s had to order in what I needed. So don't worry…have I ever let you down?" _

And then Joe was out the front door before Frank could answer him.

And now, 12 hours later, Frank was wondering just where his little brother was…so he could throttle the living daylights out of him.

Shortly after Joe left for his run, Frank had borrowed their mother's car to help his long time friend, Chet Morton, set up the barn for a Halloween party. The Mortons were dairy farmers and Chet's dad let them use one of the older barns for parties like the one they had planned for the night. Frank and Callie were going there after the trick-or-treaters had finished.

Joe normally helped out, but had already been warned by Frank that he was not to show his face until AFTER the van was fixed. Joe didn't show at all…and by the time Frank got home after supper, he was furious.

His mom had to go to work and she needed her car, which left him without a vehicle.

"Mom did Joe _even look at_ the van at all today?" he grumped as he sat down heavily in a kitchen chair.

His mother, blond haired like her younger son, smiled in sympathy. "I don't know honey. I haven't been home all day. Georgia picked me up after breakfast and we drove into the city to do some shopping. It's her and Ross's 20th wedding anniversary on Sunday."

"Wow," Frank said, impressed. Ross and Georgia Hooper were the parents of Joe's best friend, Biff, and he hadn't realized that their anniversary was so soon.

"Yeah, wow," his mother smiled as she finished packing a lunch to take with her, "so I haven't seen Joe at all."

"I wonder where he is then?" Frank mused out loud, and his mother shrugged.

"I don't know, honey. Did you check his room? You know how he likes to put on those earphones and tune us out."

"I already looked," Frank said with a small frown, and then he sighed loudly, "more like he saw me coming back and took off to Biff's or something."

Laura Hardy laughed, "Yeah that's another possibility. Your Dad is on his way home and should be here in about a half an hour. I'm sure you can use his car to go to Callie's."

Frank nodded. His father, famous private investigator Fenton Hardy, had been out of town for a week but had promised to be back in time for Halloween. He loved answering the door and usually dressed up for the occasion.

"Probably," Frank said, feeling very disappointed in his younger brother. Joe usually came through in a pinch. "I just don't understand why he didn't do it when he got home. He promised me he would."

Laura leaned over and kissed her oldest on the forehead. "I know, sweetie. But who knows what happened this time. You know your brother, there's always a good excuse."

Frank scowled. "Oh great. So maybe he's gone and got himself kidnapped or something. _Wonderful_, something else to worry about!"

Laura laughed, "I don't mean that kind of excuse, Frank! Anyway, have a great time tonight and do me a favor though?"

"What?" Frank asked, half distracted with thoughts of what he was going to do to Joe when he found him.

"When you do see your brother…try and keep him in one piece, okay? I've gotten kind of used to having him around." it was as if his mother could read his thoughts, and he stared at her open-mouthed as she laughed and finished, the sound of the door closing punctuating her comment, "And no, I don't read minds!"

* * *

Frank waited another ten minutes before deciding to call Biff's and tell Joe to get his butt home. He was positive that that was where his brother was. Whenever Joe needed to escape, he went to Biff's. At 6'2", Biff was a powerhouse, and Joe figured if anyone could protect him from Frank, it would be Biff.

Not that he ever needed protecting from his big brother, but Joe liked to tease Frank about it, usually while hiding behind Biff.

Picking up the phone, he was interrupted when he heard the sound of a car horn honking outside the house. Replacing the phone on the hook, Frank looked out and saw his girlfriend, Callie Shaw's, silver Porsche in the driveway.

"Hey tall, dark and handsome," she called out to him when he opened the door, "Need a lift?"

Grinning, Frank grabbed his jacket and trotted down the driveway towards her. Giving her a quick kiss, he waited until she slid over into the passenger seat and then he got in and backed out of the driveway. "How'd you know?"

"Oh, a little bird might have whispered in my ear that one certain van of one certain boyfriend of mine was still out of order," she said coyly.

Frank grinned. "Iola?"

"Wow, you are a good detective," the blond-haired, green-eyed girl teased.

Iola Morton was Chet Morton's younger sister, and had her heart firmly planted on Joe. Who, to her more recent delight and discovery, felt the same for her.

Their friends thought it was cute the way the couple was together…_it was so sweet_. Who would have ever thought Joe Hardy would be shy in any way?

"So why didn't Joe fix your van?" Callie asked as they headed across town to her place.

Frank let out a frustrated sigh. "I have no idea. But after I finish torturing him tonight, I might just ask him! Do you think Chet will have any boiling oil around?"

Callie laughed, amused to see her boyfriend upset at anything, especially his brother. "Whatever, Frank. Maybe he'll let you hook Joe up to one of those automatic milking machines and you can suck the truth out of him!"

Frank burst out laughing. "Thanks Callie, I just got a visual on that!"

And 15 minutes later when they pulled up in front of her family's large home, they were still chuckling over it.

Following Callie up the stairs and into the main foyer, Frank resolved that he was not going to give it one more thought. Joe was not going to ruin his evening! He'd deal with his younger brother tomorrow.

_So help me God,_ he decided as he took off his jacket, _if I have to stand over you while you work, you are going to fix those brakes tomorrow!_

* * *

The next two hours went great. Callie and Frank took turns answering the doors and giving out treats to the numerous trick-or-treaters that went by.

It was almost 9:30 before the kids started to taper off and they decided it might be a good time to head over to Chet's.

Just as Frank was getting ready to open the door, the doorbell rang again.

Opening it, he smiled at this solitary trick-or-treater standing in front of him.

"Trick or treat," a deadpan voice said, and as Frank reached around to get something out of the treat pan an eerie feeling came over him.

Turning back, he glanced into the face of this newest trick-or-treater, and hesitated briefly before putting the candy in the plastic bag that he was holding out to him.

"Do I know you?" he asked the kid. There was something about him that sent cold shivers up and down Frank's spine but he couldn't place it.

The kid stared emotionlessly at him but didn't say anything. After an awkward moment the sound of a horn honking made the kid turn around and slowly, as if each step was a difficult task, he headed towards a brown older model Pontiac .

"What's wrong, sweetie?" Callie asked, coming up behind him and seeing the strange look on Frank's face.

"I…don't…know," Frank said slowly. He couldn't place his finger on it but there was just something eerie about that kid.

"He's kind of old to be going trick or treating isn't he?" Callie commented as she saw the kid get into the car and pull away from the front of her house.

"Maybe," Frank mused. This kid looked to be about 16 or 17 but it was hard to tell because of the makeup he was wearing. Shaking off the feeling, he smiled at Callie. "I don't know if you ever get too old. Joe would still go out if he thought no one would find out about it."

"True," Callie agreed, thinking of her boyfriend's brother, "but at least Joe would have thought up a better costume. Zombies are so overdone."

Frank laughed. "Come on, grab your coat. I still have a younger brother to boil in oil…or did we change that to something else?"

"The iron maiden I think," Callie joked as she tossed her car keys to Frank and then followed him out.

* * *

_Don't panic…don't panic…don't panic_…. Joe repeated the mantra over and over in his mind.

His eyes were squeezed shut. He did not need to open them to figure out where he was.

He knew exactly where.

But as he felt the prickly sensation of legs crawling up his arm, he changed his mantra just a bit…

_Don't panic…don't' scream…don't panic…don't scream.… _

* * *

Frank was starting to get worried.

He had expected to see Joe at Chet's place when he got there, but not only did he not see his younger brother, anywhere, Biff Hooper came over to him and asked _him_ where Joe was.

"What do you mean "_where is Joe?'_", he asked sharply, "I thought he was hiding out at your house!"

"No," the muscular youth denied, "I haven't spoken to Joe all day….Didn't he fix the brakes on your van yet?" Biff added as he thought about Frank's choice of words…._hiding out at your house_….

"No," Frank said as he chewed his lip thoughtfully, "I haven't seen or spoken to Joe since he left to go for his run this morning."

"That's strange," Biff mused, "the last thing he said to me last night was that he was going to be fixing the van today and that he'd see me tonight at the party."

Frank's worry increased. "Excuse me guys, okay? I'm going to call home and see if Dad's seen him tonight."

He was hoping so, but the growing knot in his stomach wasn't so sure. Frank had a sick feeling that something bad was going down. And his brother was somehow in the thick of it.

* * *

_"I'm sorry son",_ Fenton Hardy said as soon as Frank asked him about Joe, "_I haven't seen hide nor hair of your brother. Is something wrong?"_

"Yes….No…maybe." Frank went on to explain everything that happened, and then waited with growing alarm to the silence on the other end of the phone as his father didn't say anything for a few moments.

_"I don't like the sounds of this, Frank. Your brother might be impulsive and sometimes a bit lenient with his definitions of priority, but this isn't anything like him at all. Okay, let's start with the obvious. Hold on a sec and I'll see if I can at least confirm that he got back from his run."_

As he heard his father put down the phone, Frank swallowed back the lump in his throat – Joe might not only be missing. But he might have been missing all day!

A few minutes later he heard his father's voice and his heart sank with each word.

_"Frank I'm going to have Chief Collig put out a Missing Persons on your brother. To be honest, son, I don't think he came back from his run. Or if he did, it was only for a short time. His running shoes are not here; there are no dirty sweats in the hamper or in his room; and there is no sign of him having taken a shower when he got home."_

"Okay," Frank said, "What do you want me to do?"

_"I'm turning off the lights here to let the trick-or-treaters know we are out of business, and then I'll take a drive down to the beach to see if I can at least find anyone who might have seen him." _Joe's usual running route took him to the beach and then back. "_I'll have Collig send out patrols. If you and any of your friends are willing, you can come back in town and check out the arcade, Mr. Pizza's and anywhere else you can think of that he might have gone, or that someone might remember seeing him."_

"Okay Dad," Frank said, fighting back the wave of panic that threatened to overwhelm him. Joe was missing. All day while he was getting more and more upset at him…Joe was in some sort of trouble.

His father, as if sensing what he was thinking, added, _"Don't worry Frank, we'll find him."_

Hanging up the phone, Frank went back out to the barn, and within minutes, all the party-goers were fanning out in their vehicles to try and find Joe or anyone who might have seen him at all today.

* * *

_Frank please find me…Frank please find me_….

As a bead of perspiration rolled down his face, Joe felt the little legs on his chest…. _oh dear god….Frank please find me_….

* * *

Frank pulled the Porsche over to the side of the road, got out, and sat down, putting his head in his hands. He had just been overcome with the most horrible feeling of fear he had ever felt.

And the worst of it was, he knew it wasn't something _he_ was feeling. It had to be coming from Joe.

It was weird and he could never explain it, but it had overwhelmed him with such an intensity that he had to pull over to calm down.

_Where are you, kiddo_? he thought, as he regained control over his feelings. _Where the hell are you? _

He had spent the last couple of hours looking for his brother and coming up with nothing. In fact, no one could find out anything. It was as if Joe had just vanished into thin air. And Frank was frustrated to no end.

Over and over he berated himself for the anger and nasty thoughts he had harbored all day towards his brother. He should have known Joe would not have let him down.

Yes, his younger brother was many…many…things, but the one thing that he was above everything else, was reliable. _Just in his own way_.

And if Joe promised to fix the van today, like he had, then he would have. Unless something had happened to physically prevent him.…Which of course it had.

_He had disappeared._

"I should have known earlier," Frank muttered as he got up and opened the car door again, "and I should have been looking for Joe instead of answering the door for oversized trick-or-treaters…" and then Frank froze as an image flashed back in his mind.

_That last trick-or-treater…that one that had seemed so eerie.…_

_Eerie yet familiar…. _

_What was it about him that seemed so familiar?_ If Frank could figure it out then maybe he might be able to figure out why that kid sent cold shivers down his spine, even now, hours later just by thinking about him.

_Think Hardy, think_, he said to himself as he sat behind the wheel and mentally ran through everything he could remember about the kid. His clothes, his makeup, the way he spoke, his eyes….Frank froze…._his eyes_.

Oh my God…his eyes!

It was impossible, Frank knew it; it wasn't logical. Frank knew that too.

But when he had looked at that kid… _and into that kid's face_, he would swear on his mother's life that it was Joe's vibrant blue eyes that were staring back at him.

But it was impossible…._W__asn't it?_

That kid wasn't Joe…it was impossible.

* * *

It bit him.

Joe screamed.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

_Holy cow, what a warm reception :) Thank you very much for all the supportive comments and reviews. I hope you enjoy this continution and conclusion to the story - let me know :) I will admit I wrote this story a few years agos and apolgoize, in advance, for it not being as polished as some of my newer ones. Again, thanks!_

_Beware, predictability and mush ahead - read at your own risk :P _

_Happy Halloween!_

**Spider's Web**

**Chapter 2**

Frank had no way of explaining it to his father, so he lied. He hated to do it, but he did not have time to listen to his father debate the impossibility of Frank's logic, so instead he told his father that an older model brown Pontiac had been spotted driving away with a blond haired kid in the back seat…a kid that met Joe's description.

"Well, little brother," Frank commented dryly as he hung up the phone, "You should be proud of me. I just lied to our father for you. I just pray to God this works."

* * *

Joe felt a stinging sensation followed by intense pain. He wanted to scratch the spot but he couldn't move his hands because of the stickiness.

_Don't scream….Frank please find me…don't scream…Frank where are you…. _

_Please don't let it bite me again…. _

* * *

Frank hurried back towards the Mortons' farm. He was going to meet up with Biff and they would search together. Callie had stayed behind with Iola but she needed her car back to go home, so he was going to go with Biff.

"Where to?" Biff asked as Frank slid into the passenger side beside him.

Frank chewed his lip and shrugged, "What about down by Old Cemetery Road?"

Biff paled and gave him an alarmed look, "Frank…you're not thinking…?"

The dark haired boy sighed, "No Biff, I don't think Joe is dead…but at this point we have nothing else to go on, and I'd rather check it out just in case. Who knows what kind of sicko we're dealing with? All I know right now is that my brother is missing. And I'm leaving no stone unturned."

"Old Cemetery Road it is then," Biff said, and turned the car towards that part of town.

* * *

Joe started to shiver.

Oh great, just what he needed…as if the intense pain wasn't enough. Chills.

_No, don't move_, he tried to tell himself…._Don't move or it will bite you again_….

And as his stomach churned he wondered absently what he would give into first – _the nausea…death? _

* * *

"STOP THE CAR!" Frank yelled, and Biff slammed on the brakes, making the car fishtail before it came to a complete stop across the road from the cemetery.

"WHAT?" Biff hollered back as Frank was already undoing his seatbelt and running from the car.

He could not see what Frank saw but he followed his friend unquestioningly, as he already figured out it must have something to do with Joe.

* * *

Frank didn't let the closed gates stop him. He quickly scaled them and dropped with a soft thud on the ground on the other side with Biff right behind him.

His eyes were firmly locked on the slow moving figure just ahead of him. It was the trick-or-treater!

Frank had seen him on the other side of the gates, and that was what had prompted his unexplained actions. He knew this kid would lead him to Joe….He knew it deep in his heart. So he wasn't about to let him get away.

Using every bit of stealth that he possessed, the dark haired sleuth tracked him. Biff stayed further behind once he saw what Frank was doing. Although he had helped his friends out on cases before, he did not have their quiet, undetectable ways.

He was the muscle…so he stayed back.

* * *

Joe felt his face flushing. _Oh great, something else to add to this growing list of fun – pain… chills… now a fever…. _

And then he felt the prickling sensation on his chest again….

_Oh please god no…not again. _

* * *

Frank froze, hardly comprehending what he was seeing.

There was another person in the cemetery – a large man with graying hair that looked to be about the same age as Frank's father.

The man was wearing a long black robe and had candles set up over a fresh grave. Frank could hear him chanting something, but couldn't make out the words.

As Frank watched in horrid fascination, the man reached out to the trick-or-treater, and then made him lie down over the grave.

_This is all fine and dandy_, Frank thought sarcastically, _but where is my brother? I know you know…so come on, give me some sort of clue.…_

Biff crept up behind Frank and then gasped as he saw the man and the trick-or-treater. "No…way!"

Frank put his mouth up to Biff's ear and whispered, "What?"

Following his friend's example, Biff did the same and whispered, "I know that guy! That's Max Stagg, he and my Dad play rugby together!"

Frank looked at him and shook his head. The name meant nothing to him. But as Biff glanced back at the man, his face paled and he was frantically whispering in Frank's ear again, "his son Taylor was killed a couple of days ago in a hit and run… but Frank! I swear to god that kid lying on that grave is Taylor Stagg… but it doesn't make sense. Taylor is dead!"

"Okay," Frank whispered carefully as he could see the man, Max Stagg, slowly wave his hands back and forth about a foot above Taylor's body as the volume of his chanting increased, "so if that is Taylor…then who is in that grave?"

From where they were crouched they could just make out the name carved into the headstone: TAYLOR STAGG.

And then Frank turned and bolted back towards the gate. Alarmed, Biff followed him, wondering where Frank was going, but as the dark haired boy fell to his knees near the tall hedges at the edge of the cemetery and started retching, he understood.

Frank raised his face up and whispered miserably, "Biff…I think Joe is in that grave."

"Oh my God," Biff said each word with feeling as he leaned over to keep from passing out, "We're too late!"

White-faced, Frank staggered to his feet. He refused to believe it. Joe couldn't be dead…."No… we have to get him out. If he's been in there all day he won't have much time left!"

Biff was shaking his head, "No, Frank. If he's been in there all day…then he's dead by now!"

Frank refused to believe it as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the cell phone. "Call my Dad! Tell him to get the police here right away!"

"Frank…." Biff tried to make Frank see the truth. Joe was dead. If he was in that grave…he was dead. But Frank yelled at him, not caring anymore if Stagg and his son heard him or not, "HE IS NOT DEAD!"

Hushing him, Biff grabbed his arm. "Okay, I'll call your Dad… what are you going to do?"

"Get Joe out of there!" Frank said, collecting himself, "After you call Dad, go to the groundskeeper's shed by the gate over there," he pointed to a small building, "and get some shovels – we need to dig up that grave fast!"

"Okay…okay." Biff still didn't believe Joe would be alive, but either way, he'd help Frank.

"Be careful," Biff warned, "I'll be back as quickly as I can!"

And then dialing the phone, he put it up to his ear and waited for Mr. Hardy to answer as Frank quickly raced back to the grave.

He had to save Joe.

* * *

Joe felt the cold overcoming his body. His breaths were becoming more labored and he knew he was almost out of air.

_Guess I get to die first,_ he thought miserably but as his stomach revolted, he wasn't so sure anymore.

* * *

Max Stagg never knew what hit him. Frank threw himself at the bigger man, knowing he'd need the element of surprise to bring him down. He had no idea how much resistance Taylor might offer but he knew that if this guy played rugby with Biff's dad, then he'd be in good shape.

Ross Hooper made his son look small. At 6'4, he was a big man among big men.

"NO!" Max screamed, shoving Frank off him, "The ritual is not complete! You're too early!"

Frank ducked a wild swing and brought his fist up into Max's stomach. His eyes were dark with rage and as the adrenaline coursed through his bloodstream, Frank knew this was one fight he would win.

In the foremost of his mind was the fact that only a few feet beneath him his brother was suffocating.

As Frank brought back his fist and connected with Max's chin, he felt the big man go down. _Thank God_, he thought as he whipped around to see what Taylor was up to.

The other boy was still lying on the grave, and Frank reached down and pulled him off. He recoiled from the feel of Taylor 's skin beneath his hand. The skin was icy and reminded him of the texture of a frog which had been in formaldehyde waiting for some biology class to dissect him.

Taylor offered no resistance and went to stand behind his unconscious father as Frank started to frantically try and dig up the grave with his bare hands. He knew he needed a shovel but until Biff could get there, he'd use what he had.

"Hold on Joe…I'm coming! Hold on, little brother!" he yelled, hoping that somehow through the dirt, Joe would hear him.

And then Biff was there with two shovels, and both boys frantically started to dig. One prayed they were not too late while the other prayed he'd be strong enough for his friend when they opened that casket and saw Joe's body.

* * *

Scratching…horrible scratching noise….

Joe heard noise but he didn't care anymore.

He opened his eyes once just to confirm what he had known all along…he was buried alive. But that would be rectified in just a few moments…he was out of air.

Even the brown recluse spider did not concern him anymore.

As he let out his final breath, he prayed that someone would take care of Frank for him…while he was gone….

* * *

The boys saw the casket lid and using the shovel they pried it off and then gasped in shock.

Their worst suspicions had been confirmed – Joe was in the grave.

Frank immediately reached down to grab Joe but Biff stopped him. "Frank, no. He's gone."

With a strength that no one would have ever thought Frank possessed, he shoved Biff away like he was nothing as he squatted down and picked his brother up. "If you're not going to help me Biff…then you'd better as hell stay away." His voice was a low growl as he started to climb up out of the grave but when he slipped, Biff's hand steadied him and then pulled them both out of the grave.

"Of course I'll help, Frank," he said softly, and then took off his coat and laid it on the ground for Frank to lay Joe down on. Frank was appalled to see something sticky wrapped around Joe's wrists and it took him a moment to realize what it was.

Spiders' thread. It was sticky and hard to break, but Frank pulled out his pocket knife and quickly cut through it.

"He's been bitten by something." Biff noticed the small white blister that had risen at the bite site surrounded by a swollen area on Joe's neck. As Frank checked Joe's vitals, Biff turned back to the casket and shuddered, and then he heard Frank:

"He's got a pulse!"

Breathing a sigh of relief, Biff squatted down over the casket and looked inside. Joe had been bitten by something and he knew if he could find out what it was, it would make it easier to treat. He had seen a bite like that a long time ago and he was already afraid that he knew the answer.

Behind him, he heard Frank again: "He's not breathing!" And then the sounds of him starting CPR on his brother.

And then Biff saw the spider. A dark brown color, the spider had a violin-shaped marking on its head. It was about the size of a quarter…and poisonous.

"Damn," he muttered as he heard Frank still trying to revive Joe, "he's been bitten by a recluse spider, Frank."

If the dark haired boy had any reaction to this statement, Biff never saw it as Frank was too busy working on his brother. And then as Biff reached down and picked up the now dead spider he heard a small gasp and smiled.

Joe was alive.

* * *

…_breathedamnit…breathedeamnit…breathedamnit_… over and over Frank kept repeating those two words as he breathed for his brother, pressed on his chest and breathed again.

Hot tears stung his eyes; he wasn't ready to let Joe go like this….

In the distance Frank heard the sounds of the police and hoped his father had also sent for an ambulance.

Then he heard the most wonderful sound in the world…Joe gasped.

"Welcome back, kiddo," he said softly as he hugged his brother tightly.

Behind him he heard the sound of Max stirring but before he could even turn around he saw Biff straighten up to his full height and growl, "Don't even think about it, Max. I'll lay you out, man."

Frank wondered where Taylor was as he held his shaking brother. But the trick-or-treater had just disappeared….He was nowhere to be seen.

"Its okay, Joe," he whispered, "Shh. I've got you now."

"It…hurts, Frank…" Joe gasped as he squeezed his eyes shut against the pain. "it…hurts…so. Bad."

Frank didn't need to ask his brother what he was talking about. Biff said Joe had been bitten by a brown recluse spider. The bites were painful and Joe needed treatment, but as he heard his father shouting and running towards him, he knew that Joe would be okay.

* * *

Once they got Joe to the hospital and he had been treated, Frank finally got to see him again. His father was outside talking to the police, and his mother was on her way.

"Hey kiddo," Frank said as he stared down at Joe.

His brother opened tired blue eyes to gaze up at him, and smiled. "Hey Old Man….Thanks."

"For what?" Frank asked, pulling the visitor's chair closer and sitting down. He saw the bandage over the bite site on Joe's chest and winced. The bite had been deep and had erupted into a 'volcano lesion,' or a small hole in the flesh due to the damaged, gangrenous tissue, and Joe had been started on high doses of cortisone and antibiotics. He would be kept in the hospital until they were sure the tissue damage was under control.

Frank shook his head, hardly believing the amount of damage one spider bite could inflict, as the wound itself was now the size of a thumbnail. The doctor had told them it would take up to six or eight weeks to fully heal.

"For finding me," Joe said tiredly. He had been shocked beyond belief when he regained consciousness and saw Frank's concerned brown eyes gazing down at him warmly… _welcome back kiddo_… wonderful words to come back to.

Frank's face softened at the brightness in his brother's eyes. "Of course I had to find you…" he smiled gently and tried to lighten the mood, "you haven't fixed the van yet!"

Joe laughed and then groaned; Frank grinned. "Sorry," and then he became serious. "Joe, what happened?"

His younger brother sighed and closed his eyes. For a moment Frank didn't think he was going to say anything, but then Joe started speaking. "I was on my way back from the run when I saw a car on the side of the road with a flat tire. So I stopped to help and then next thing I know he's shoving a rag in my face."

Joe paused and reached for a drink. Frank helped him and then took the cup away when he finished. "I tried to fight the guy but he was too strong."

"Yeah, I know that feeling," Frank mused, thinking of his own scuffle with Max and wondering where he had managed to get the strength to take him down. But then as he gazed back at Joe, he knew. He took Max down because he had no choice.

Joe had needed him to.

"When I woke up, we were in the cemetery and that guy was chanting some stuff and I couldn't move. He'd wrapped some sort of stuff around my wrists…I think he said it was spiders' thread…." Joe shivered at the memory, and Frank leaned across and gave his arm a squeeze.

Joe's voice became a whisper as he continued, and Frank could feel the fear radiating from his brother as he continued the tale. "He told me his son had died but that I was going to give him his son back. I was going to trade places."

Frank moved to the edge of the bed to sit when he saw how upset his brother was becoming. "He s-said that when I – when I died my spirit would g-go into his son's body and his son w-would… be alive again."

"Its okay Joe… " Frank reassured.

Joe shook his head, took a deep breath and tried to continue. "He put the s-spider on me. He said it – ah - it was the carrier of my spirit. It would bite me and then hold my soul until I died…and then his son – his s-son would…would…and he buried me… and…" Joe buried his face in his hands and his shoulders shook.

Frank felt deep anger stir in his chest at the crazy man as he moved to sit beside his brother. He slipped an around the his brother and gently tugged until Joe leaned into him. "Shh," he sighed out, "it's okay, bro. You're safe… There're no more spiders…no more mad Max. Dad is right outside the door and I'm here with you. You're going to be okay…"

Joe pulled away from him and looked up with wide fearful eyes. It shook Frank up to see his brother so badly shaken. "Will I be though, Frank? It was so dark, Frank. Inside….So dark…I was so alone."

Frank's arm tightened protectively around his traumatized brother as he fought back his own emotion. "Joe, you are always in my heart and as long as you keep me in yours, you will never be alone again. And no matter where you go, or how deep you get buried, I _will_ find you. This is my promise to you. My big-brother sacred promise. You are my little brother, and as long as there is a breath in my body, I will do whatever I can to make sure that no one can ever anyone hurt you like this again."

Joe gave a grateful nod; his voice quiet. "Thank you, Frank."

Frank nudged at his shoulder. "Hey, you have nothing to thank me for, bro. We're brothers. That's what we do and don't ever forget that. But I do need to say something to you…." Frank waited Joe was looking at him and then continued, "Man, I'm sorry….So sorry. You were going through all this while I was whining over some stupid brakes on the van. If I'd been home I would have realized you were missing sooner…and found you sooner. I was such a loser…"

"A loser?" Joe stared at him with disbelief. "Frank you saved my life… nothing loser about that. And not like you knew something was up and just ignored it. Even you at your most pissed at me couldn't do that. But – ah – can you just promise me one thing?"

"Anything," Frank said.

"Well… the next time I do see a spider…" Frank nodded in rapt attention as Joe continued, "and decide to do the chicken dance…please don't laugh…"

Frank blinked unsure how to respond for a moment but then as a mischievous twinkle replaced the somber fear for just a few moments, he knew Joe was teasing him. Playfully swatting at his brother's arm, he snorted said, "BRAT!"

"And you love me for it," Joe commented as he closed his eyes and lay back down in the bed. God, he was tired.

"Yeah well, I'll love you even more when you get the brakes fixed on the van!" Frank laughed as he shifted on the bed and into the visitor's chair again.

Joe scowled, then pressed the call button and when the nurse answered he said, as pathetically as he could, "Can you get my Daddy for me, please? My brother is bothering me."

And amid peals of laughter from his sons, Fenton Hardy stepped into the room and smiled.

Things were rapidly returning to normal.

Well as normal as anything could be in the Hardy household.

* * *

And in a newly sealed grave marked "TAYLOR STAGG" the trick-or-treater slept….

Happy Halloween!

The End.


End file.
